Summer's Flame
by FakeFairy
Summary: Down in the South, the world might as well have been on fire with how hot it got. And this summer? It seemed like a record setter. This summer's heat was enough to set a match ablaze, sparking the flame of romance in the hearts of the youth.
1. Chapter 1

FFN doesn't like to let people leave links, so i can't leave credit to the post that this idea was from. however, if you'd like, pm me and I should be able to send the link through there? anyways, i saw it and i was like, "well, i'm never going to get the chance to actually ROLE PLAY this idea out with someone else" so this fic happened!

i'm well aware i'm notorious for starting stories and never looking at them again, but hopefully this won't be one of them!

also, basing this story in north carolina (lmao) because since i live here, i'm familiar with the state, and it DOES get pretty hot down in the south, so...

also! this is a **modern au take!** i'm basing it on my modern au headcanons for hinata, and i'll be making stuff up about sasuke along the way because honestly, i've never thought about HIS modern au stuff other than from what other people have created who actually rp him, and i'm not about to take their ideas v.v

modern au-wise and me basing their ethnicities on like...one of Japanese blood, they're definitely not going to have their canon eye colors. v.v

* * *

The day she decided _just _which university to go to, the day she saw _their _college acceptance letter amongst all the others piled up on the breakfast table, Hinata Hyūga had been ecstatic. Duke University, probably the most prestigious university in North Carolina, and it rivaled those of the Ivy League level, if not _exceeding _some of those schools' standards. She wanted to stay in state to begin with, not exactly ready to travel far out in the world on her own, and she would rather stay closer to home, anyways. Besides, Duke was probably everything she could dream of. It was home to a beautiful state, the academics were wonderful, and the campus was gorgeous.

Amongst other things, Hinata would be studying law and things like business and economics, psychology, and more. She was an heiress to her family's corporation, after all - Hyūga International Law Offices, a world famous corporation with offices in a number of countries, its home in the great U-S-of-A. The Hyūga were an old money sort of family, and they could trace their roots back to Japan, where they were still wealthy and successful.

Today, they were still incredibly wealthy and successful, and now Hiashi was the second and current chairman of the law firm.

All Hinata's life, she has striven to please and impress her father, her grades and behavior in school beautifully consistent and as best as they could possibly be. She was no prodigy, not like her cousin Neji nor her sister, and she once had a battered and broken confidence in herself that could only be referred to as self-doubt.

Over the years, Hinata was able to grow in more ways than one, becoming a confident, strong, and _able _young woman. She now had ambitions to succeed her father as chairwoman. The road wouldn't be an easy one; no, not in the least.

Duke University was one of the country's most prestigious universities, and the courses would undoubtedly be difficult. She still had private tutors to further educate her about the business world and how to specifically run her family's corporation where school could not, and there was still the pressure that came from hailing from the line of Hyūgas. There was a lot for her to do, and there was quite a bit that was expected of her, but with all the strength and the courage that she had gathered over the years, Hinata would succeed.

After all, now she was finishing up her second year of college, and there would be only two more years to go until she'd earn her Bachelor's, and she'd be off to Duke's law program afterward. Once she earned her Juris Doctor, she could take the bar exam, and even now, with that goal so far ahead in the future, she was still nervous.

Hinata was one of the lucky ones. Coming from a rich family, there was no worry over money and student debts; one could say she had it fairly easy. With the allowance she got and the money she made on her own from the small part-time jobs she'd picked up along the way in her high school years, she had purchased her own apartment, and working now (while still getting money from her parents), she was able to pay for her apartment and everything she needed to live comfortably.

And, that was where Hinata Hyūga's little story began.

Her senior year of high school was spent preparing for her life heading into adulthood. An apartment had already been purchased because her home was a little far (though not by much; just enough to be inconvenient in regards to possible traffic) from campus, and she didn't feel comfortable enough to live in a dorm. Eighteen, and still a little on the shy side. It would have been a great opportunity to make a friend, of course, but she would rather make a friend on campus in classes and grow comfortable with them through those interactions instead.

Besides, she had figured there would be students living in apartment complexes anyways; it wasn't uncommon for people to prefer off-campus housing.

Hinata had gotten an apartment on the top floor of a four-story building. It was more isolated, and it would be quieter, more peaceful - just the way she liked it. She could read, she could study, and she could indulge in any other hobbies she had. Of course, she had to be courteous to her neighbor below her, as well as the one across from her, but there shouldn't be any issues. Her steps were quiet and light, almost with the grace of a dancer, and she didn't exactly _blast _her music. It played on a comfortable volume level.

She'd survived two years already with no trouble, so she would be fine for many years more.

At least, that was Hinata's hope.

That day, it had been her last day of school for the year. Tote bag slung on one shoulder, her small shoulder bag slung across the other, and a small gift bag and her room key in hand, she climbed up the stairs up to her apartment, sighing in relief as soon as the door had opened. In comparison to the outdoor summer heat, her apartment felt like a breath of cool, fresh air. Once she was adjusted to the temperature, however, it wasn't so wonderful. It seemed that the air conditioning wasn't working so well, or maybe it was with the sun pouring in through the windows. Regardless, that summer was the hottest summer in years, and Hinata wondered if she would survive.

When she woke up that morning, her blanket had been kicked onto the floor, and she had regretted wearing pants instead of a pair of shorts. Her ceiling fan in the bedroom had been on high, and the air conditioner _had _been on, yet it didn't seem to help so much. The thermostat was set to its appropriate temperature, but it still read "83." It felt a little better outside because it had still been morning and there was a nice and gentle breeze to cool her down. The temperature had been at its peak at noon, though it still wasn't any better now in the later afternoon hours. The sun was still burning hot against her skin and through her clothes, making her head hot to the touch.

She was glad to be home.

The other day, she had purchased a few fans; two tower fans, and one little table fan. Dyson fans - quiet and effective, though some days, she did enjoy her fresh air. Opening too many windows, though, let in more bugs than she'd like to allow, and so that afternoon, she left her apartment door wide open. While she was sitting around in the main living room, she would be able to monitor the door easily.

For a while, she was wary, as she was a slightly cautious person by nature. It was a safe neighborhood, especially since it was rather close to the university, so nothing bad should happen. Still, the Hyūga really couldn't help it.

_"Maybe I should leave the door closed after all," _she silently mused, glancing over at her open door. _"But... Getting fresh air saves money on the utility bill..."_

Not that _she _had anything to worry about in regards to living expenses. She was wealthy. But, Hinata was a modest woman and she didn't like to flaunt it, and she wanted to be able to take care of herself to prove that she was strong, independent, capable, and responsible.

Her cat seemed to agree that it was best to leave the door open. Taro - and that was her cat's name - seemed to enjoy the occasional breeze that would roll in, his tail flicking from side to side contentedly. Every now and then he would spot a bug outside, and he would bound right out the door and pounce on it.

A pleasant smile had spread over Hinata's face as she looked up from her book as she kept an eye on her cat. She often let him out, though with her following close behind (although she _really _didn't need to; he always came back home, and he was never gone for long. He was a smart cat.) to keep an eye on him, mostly to make sure that he didn't make any trouble. It was a pet-friendly apartment complex and Taro had no problems, _but, _there were always _others _who'd make trouble, and there was never a guarantee that he would get along with the other animals he might come across.

Taro was going in and out, returning as quickly as he had left. Hinata's worries were touched upon briefly, however, when the ginger and white coated Siberian didn't return after ten minutes. Letting out a soft and concerned sigh, she bookmarked her page and set the book down on the coffee table, slipping her feet into her flip flops before she went out the door.

"Taro," Hinata called out softly, looking left and right for the cat. It wasn't like him to not come back home, and so of course, she couldn't help but to be worried.

Maybe he'd gone downstairs, or maybe he had found a bug to play with, or some poor bird, or-

"Is this your cat?"

Looking up from her feet, her brown eyes trailed upward, meeting with a ball of familiar ginger and white fur, and a long tail with _long, _shaggy fur swishing to and fro. Dark eyebrows knitted together as an "_oh no_" sort of expression settled across her pale face.

Sheepishly, Hinata averted her gaze from Taro before she allowed her eyes to continue moving upward as she replied with a soft, "Y-Yes!" Before her, she saw a young man with raven black hair that framed his face and dark brown eyes. He was fairly tall, at least five-foot-ten, and he had fair skin. Briefly studying his face, she could tell that he was at least a _little _annoyed. That, and the atmosphere felt...tense. Bowing slightly, she quickly added, "I'm so sorry! Did..did he cause any trouble? I apologize..! I've left my apartment door open due to the heat, and he..well, he wandered out and didn't come back home right away and..."

"And he walked right into my apartment," the male finished, "right as I opened my door."

Hinata avoided looking into his eyes; he was slightly intimidating. "...he's a little on the.._friendly _side and-"

The man cut Hinata off, and simply held Taro forward. "Here. And he didn't make any trouble. Just came and tried to share _my _cat's food bowl. 'Least she didn't mind."

The girl almost looked horrified. "He- He did? I'm so sorry!" She took her cat into her arms and pouted down at him. "And he has food in his bowl now, too," she mumbled, softly stroking Taro's fur. Hugging the cat to her chest, she allowed her eyes to meet her neighbor's, and she attempted a diminutive smile. "Ah, um.. Thank you! For giving my cat back, I mean!" Grinning a little wider, she said, "I'm Hinata...I apologize that we've had to meet this way..."

"Sasuke," he replied, raising a single brow. He huffed and just gave Hinata a little nod. "Whatever."

He said nothing more and turned around, heading back into his apartment. While the door closed behind him, Hinata stood around quietly, looking down at the Siberian cat.

"Don't run off like that, Taro-kun," she gently scolded as she walked back into her own apartment. She set the cat down, and she, too, closed the door behind her.

She would try leaving it open again tomorrow. Hopefully, it would go a lot better, and hopefully, Taro wouldn't escape again. It shouldn't be a problem; Hinata doubted that Sasuke's door would be open.

She wondered how long he had lived there. In her two years at the complex, she didn't think she'd seen him before. She wondered if he was a university student at Duke, too. It wouldn't be strange. Duke had an enormous campus with various classes. Some students might not ever see each other once.

Shaking her head, Hinata decided it didn't matter. It wasn't her business, after all.

Minor details that didn't concern her.

She'd keep her nose out.


	2. Chapter 2

The windows in Hinata Hyūga's apartment had been rolled up that morning, though the openings were only maybe two inches tall. Mini blinds had been pulled up, and a gentle breeze flowed into her home. The apartment door was also wide open, and this time, Hinata was keeping a closer eye on her cat, although today, there shouldn't be a problem with him escaping and finding his way into her neighbor's place. When she had gone to open her door only a few minutes ago, _Sasuke's _door had been closed, and she felt that she could rest easily.

With the fresh morning air rolling into her apartment, it felt like a wonderful start to her summer vacation. However, she wouldn't be sitting around doing _nothing. _There would still be dealing with family business (she had only moved out of her household to be closer to university, for convenience's sake, after all), continuing her studies, a summer job, and, well, doing vacation-y things.

But right now, relaxing in one of the simplest ways was fine with her.

Sunlight poured in from her door, and Taro sat in the pool of light, tail swishing to and fro happily - he looked content to sit in the sun, and his owner was content with lounging on the couch as she flipped through one of the many "how-to" textbooks given to her by the tutor her father had hired for her. Business etiquette, how to _run _a corporation, and everything else around and in between.

Such topics only ever made her sigh, however, and eventually she would always close the textbook and set it down on her coffee table, lie back on the couch, and stare up at the ceiling fan as it rotated. Hinata _did _want to succeed her father - and if it wasn't going to be her, then it would be her sister, Hanabi - but all the same, she was afraid that she wasn't cut out for it. Not only to run the corporation, but to be a lawyer. If she wanted to, she could become an attorney, but again, would it suit her? That was one of her concerns. She didn't know if she would be able to perform her job well, or it her personality would be good for the job; Hanabi was more suited to being an attorney than she was, honestly.

She could still be chairwoman while only holding the title of _lawyer, _and perhaps that would be better. Ever since taking office, her father had been too busy for clients, whether it was managing the business, stocks and shares, having dinner with people of importance, and family time, if he could manage it.

Perhaps she was overthinking it. It was a bad habit of hers, to overthink things.

She was Hinata Hyūga and she had _nothing _to worry about.

At least, other than a runaway cat, that is.

Hinata had heard the faint sound of the door across from her apartment opening, and her gaze had shifted to the side in a second. In that second, she caught sight of her cat bolting out of the door, and she let out a quiet gasp.

_"Not again!" _she thought as a hand flew over her mouth.

Yesterday, her neighbor didn't seem overly annoyed at the fact that Taro had made himself at home in the _wrong _apartment, but there was a good chance that the same thing happening _twice _would irritate him. Somehow, she had gotten that sort of vibe from Sasuke, the vibe that he was an easily irritable person. She didn't know if it was from his outward demeanor, one that seemed so distant and aloof (and perhaps even a little on the _colder _side) or the curtness in his tone, but regardless, she didn't want to upset him. Hinata didn't want to upset _anyone. _

In one swift movement, Hinata slid off the couch and raced out of her door, slowing as soon as she was out, however.

Footsteps grew slow and almost hesitant as she approached Sasuke's open apartment. Peering in from outside, eyes flickered around before a soft sigh was expelled from her mouth. Lowering her head, she extended an arm to knock on the door to let the man know that she was there.

_But, _it seemed that that would have been unnecessary, considering that her dark-haired neighbor had already come out to 'greet' her. Taro was in his arms once again, and a pained expression was etched upon Hinata's face. She stole a brief glance up at Sasuke before dipping her head down again.

"I'm.. I am _so _sorry, S-Sasuke-san..." she mumbled in apology, and a hand flew over her mouth yet again.

Her Japanese, ranging from the smallest of things like honorifics to full sentences and phrases, would often slip out. Fluent in both languages and without a trace of an accent (she had been born in the States) in her English, and she spoke both at home, though she was so used to referring to people with Japanese honorifics, due to family and friends and other company.

Sasuke...his _name _was surely Japanese, and when she looked at him closely, his features were surely Asian, but..

"-I'm sorry," Hinata apologized, yet again. "...it's just that...I'm very used to using Japanese honorifics, and-"

"Don't worry about it," Sasuke replied, cutting her off. "Just take your cat."

And, out of habit, the Hyūga delivered a little bow and gently took Taro from Sasuke, stroking the top of the cat's head with her petite hand.

"Please don't run off anymore, Taro-kun," Hinata whispered. "You can't make anymore trouble for Sasuke-san, okay?" With a quiet sigh, she looked back up at her neighbor and gave an apologetic smile, the corners of her mouth curving gently. "...thank you again.."

Sasuke didn't say anything in response to the girl, simply looking at her with indifferent eyes, almost as if he was studying her. He thought that Hinata was a little odd. Too quick to grow nervous, too quick to apologize, almost _sickeningly _polite, and with Japanese slipping into her English... Well, he wasn't guilty of doing the same, speaking the former of the two when he was annoyed or pissed and didn't want others around him to understand what he was muttering about. He wouldn't comment on her _slips. _

After a moment, he averted his gaze from the small woman, folded his arms across his chest, and leaned up against his door frame, huffing quietly as he did so. This summer was a terribly hot one, and upstairs, it was just terrible. It was so bad that he had resorted to leaving his apartment door open, and it seemed that his little neighbor had thought to do the same. He had half a mind to tell her to keep her door shut - because _he _wasn't going to be closing _his _- if her cat couldn't stay in his own home, but knowing how hot it was getting, it wouldn't have been fair. It wasn't a kind thought, no. Sasuke simply wanted to get by in life with as few problems as he could manage. A few dirty looks, he could deal with, but from her, he felt as if he would get _pouts _instead.

Sasuke wasn't the type of guy to be guilt-tripped, especially not easily, but he would most certainly prefer to _not _see any pouty faces.

He supposed that he would have to deal with Hinata's cat.

"All right," Sasuke finally said, after a long period of a _somewhat _awkward silence. "It's summer, and clearly, it's hot. You have your door open, I have my door open. We're going to have to deal with each other. I'm going to set some ground rules. Your cat's clearly not going to stay in his own place with my door open - come quickly, or I will go to drop him off, and we don't have to say a word about it. And, I guess, we can see if out pets can get along, if need be. As it has only happened twice, my cat doesn't seem too bothered by yours, but she'll soon be annoyed with yours invading her space."

He paused as he awaited a response, and a foot began to tap against the wood floor.

Hinata was quick to nod. "That seems fine... And...if that will be the case, we'll have to get to know each other better, too...right?"

"Naturally," Sasuke said in a sigh. Adjusting his posture, he let down his arms, allowing his thumbs to slip into his pockets. "Sasuke Uchiha, criminal psychologist to be."

Starting right at the beginning, _again_, seemed like a good place - just with a little additional piece of information hanging onto his name, this time. And this time, it had been his full name.

"Hinata Hyūga," Hinata replied. "Lawyer..to be..."

The Uchiha almost raised an eyebrow at hearing her surname. It was a familiar one. A _well known _one. It could have simply been a coincidence, but-

No. It was no coincidence. From news that had reached his ears by mouth of his father, the Hyūga line was a large one, all stemming one little place in the mainland of Japan, and they had once been a powerful clan, much like the Uchiha had once been. In modern day society, the Hyūga were still powerful, and they were the founders of Hyūga International Law Offices.

Sasuke's father was an FBI special agent, and Sasuke had heard the stories told about Hyūga attorneys - they were no joke. They were the best of the best. Straight-faced, professional, and _damn _good at their jobs.

This girl...she didn't seem as if she was capable of becoming an attorney, or working under that corporation for whatever position.

Maybe he was being too quick to judge.

_"Never judge a book by its cover" _was how the saying went, but often times, his initial judgments always proved to be correct.

Sasuke shrugged the matter aside and took a step back further into his apartment.

"I'll be seeing you, then, Hyūga," Sasuke commented, though mentally, he added dryly, _"Hopefully not _too _often. With the doors being open, and her cat, however... Interactions are inevitable. It doesn't mean I have to make an attempt to be sociable. She'll be sorely disappointed if she expects much of me."_

"R-Right," Hinata answered, delivering another nod. Attempting a weak smile, she turned around as Sasuke shut his door, and headed back towards her own open door, setting Taro down inside.

In the rush that she had been in before to retrieve the mischievous cat, she had run out without her shoes, which brought a minuscule frown to her face. Quickly dusting her bare feet on the mat, she hopped inside and closed the door for the time being - just until she had washed her feet. Scuttling towards her bedroom, she hurriedly entered her bathroom and sat down on the edge of her tub with her legs dangling inside. She ran the cold water and rinsed off her feet, drying them with a small towel once she had finished.

"All done," she murmured, moving out with graceful, fluid movements.

Her full lips quirked just the slightest as she exited her bedroom and returned to the living room, walking towards the door to open it. Hinata's eyes jumped from the door to her Siberian cat, relaxing as she saw that he wasn't about to make a move. He probably just wanted to greet Sasuke's cat earlier, and now that he had, he was happy to stay at home.

Sasuke... He was a curious figure. He had been assertive in setting his "ground rules" into place, but she could sense his indifference to the idea of actually "getting to know one another." Hinata would try not to make a habit out of anything, not wanting to annoy Sasuke and so that she would not grow weary from constantly going back and forth from one apartment to another for the smallest of reasons.

It would be tiring after a while.

Though, more for Sasuke than Hinata, really.

That's what they both thought.

In Sasuke's apartment, he had rolled his eyes the moment his door closed behind him. He had little to no interest in actually getting to know the girl, but again, was it like he had much of a choice? They lived right across from each other and if their doors were going to be open all summer long (while they were both home at the same time), they might as well have been room mates. If Hinata's cat was going to make a habit out of being a runaway rascal, it would be inevitable.

With yet another carefree shrug, he paced back and forth (really for no reason at all) before he stopped to glance at the kitchen clock on the stove.

Looking at his cat, who had been lounging on one of the living room chairs, he said, "Feeding time, huh, Rei?"

And for himself, too.

He prepared Rei's dish, a can of gross - in his opinion - soft food that the Ragdoll adored. When she was a kitten, of course she had to be fed soft food, and eventually it moved from that to a mixture of the kibbles and soft food, which she tolerated to an extent. After she was old enough to handle the kibbles, she had _refused _to eat. Sasuke had sighed and agreed to buying her the _gourmet cat food, _muttering that it costs him extra money, but luckily for him, it was something that he, too, had plenty of.

As for him, all he had were a few slices of tomatoes and a glass of orange juice, not having that much of an appetite that morning. And then, it was the usual workout routine - for the exercises that he did in the apartment, anyways. Squats with the weights that he had, pushups, sit-ups, crunches, and burpees.

His door was reopened when he was through - which was a bout two hours later - to let in the fresh air, and luckily, there was a breeze going, which effectively cooled him down. Sasuke's fringe was matted to his forehead and sides of his face from the sweat, and for a few brief moments, he breathed a little heavily to put the air back in his lungs. He looked out and, by default, into Hinata's apartment to see her sitting on her couch with a textbook in her hands, appearing engrossed in her studies, which reminded Sasuke that he should be studying as well, despite the fact that he was currently on summer break.

He still had summer assignments to give his attention to, as well as keeping his mind fresh with all the given material and more in order to remain at the top of his class. It wasn't only for his own pride and desire, but to maybe surpass his brother and please his father. Even though he was an adult now, he still held that same mentality, thinking that he had to impress his dad, and he kind-of-sort-of still had to. Although he and Itachi were clearly different and had a different set of skills, he was still hidden in the shadows of Itachi's light.

_"Studying it is, then."_

Grunting quietly, he went to grab his bag and brought it back into the living area, dumping its contents out onto the coffee table, organizing them all neatly once they were out. Grabbing a pencil, one of his work packets, and a binder to write on, he sat down on one of the chairs and got back to work. He looked up again to peer back at his neighbor, and somehow in that instant, she had looked up, too.

Their eyes met, and just as quickly as they had looked at each other, they looked away. Sasuke's nose had twitched while Hinata's porcelain cheeks were flushed vermilion from embarrassment. She had only looked up to peer out of the door to see what Sasuke was doing, as all the noise was making her curious. Hinata did _not _expect to make eye contact with him.

Absolutely not.

_Nope!_

The Hyūga buried her face in the textbook and got back to her diligent reading.

She would be in so much trouble. This summer would be long and hot, and the day was still young.

The two of them would be speaking again. _Very _soon.


End file.
